If President Donald Trump is good at anything, it's reinventing himself. Despite six of his businesses having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, numerous resorts dropping his name, and a slew of breach of contract lawsuits alongside other litigation, some have crowned him the comeback king as he triumphantly returned to the White House in January 2025.
Wasting no time in getting his feet back under the Resolute Desk, a returning Donald Trump pardoned hundreds, signed a library of executive orders, and set out trying to make America 'great' again with everything from AI deals to plans for a 'Golden Dome' of defense, putting Elon Musk in charge of the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency, and then falling out with the world's richest man over his One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
With the POTUS being so busy, you might think he barely has time for a round of golf, let alone launching new business ventures, but that hasn't stopped him from releasing his own meme coin and his very own iPhone rival.
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Marketed at a phone for 'real' Americans, Trump Mobile is supposed to launch the gold-covered T1 phone to put Apple in its place. However, some previously branded it a 'scam' when they realized they weren't even made in the USA. Trump Mobile quickly changed its wording to say that they're simply assembled in America, while others have complained about the 'unfathomable' monthly fee, and some claim they've been ripped off when trying to order a T1.
It's hardly the 'golden' launch the President was looking for, especially after Trump Mobile has again been dubbed a scam when someone noted that it appears to be selling refurbished iPhones – at a marked-up cost.
The Independent reports that the Trump Organization (headed up by Donald's son's Donald Jr. and Eric) is filling the void left by the T1 with refurbished Samsung S23s, S24s, as well as Apple iPhone 15s and 16s. Despite having no actual Trump branding, they claim to have been "brought to life right here in the USA," which doesn't tend to fit with where we know these models are typically assembled.
More than the questionable fine print, there's the fact that these phones apparently come with a $500 price tag, which makes them up to $225 more than what they're selling for on Amazon.
On the Trump Mobile shop, the iPhone 15 comes with the following description, which almost directly mimics the T1 pitch: "The Apple iPhone15 Renewed isn’t just another smartphone — it’s a bold step toward wireless independence.
"Apple iPhone15 Renewed delivers top-tier performance, sleek design, and powerful features — all without the inflated price tag."
Considering these prices are inflated compared to most other places you'd get a 15, it seems someone is telling porkies.
Although Apple doesn't currently sell refurbished iPhone 14s, they're going for $305 on Amazon and $327 at Best Buy when compared to Trump Mobile charging you $489 for the privilege. As for the iPhone 15, you can nab one for $403 (Amazon) and $455 (Best Buy), suggesting that Trump Mobile is taking a fair bit of cream off the top.
Elsewhere, people on Reddit said they feel scammed because there's still no sign of the T1. One person wrote: "Get scammed by the president fools!"
When another asked how hard it is to take an Android and paint it gold, someone else said: "Not at all, which is why everybody knew that if this phone was ever going to get released (big if) it was just going to be some re-skinned Android phone with gold paint on the back and a sh*tty Trump wallpaper."
A third joked: "What will be released first, this phone or the Epstein files?"